Alex Smalley Got Punched By Aronimink And Still Led After Morning Wave.

After opening the PGA Championship with a 67 on Thursday, Smalley followed with a 1-under 69 Friday morning to reach 4 under for the championship and take the early clubhouse lead. At that time, he stood one shot clear of Hideki Matsuyama and Chris Gotterup when he finished.

The most telling part of the round was not the score. It was the recovery.

Smalley had grabbed the outright lead before three consecutive bogeys threatened to undo the day. Instead, he birdied the par-4 fourth and added another at the par-5 ninth, where his eagle try stopped just 14 inches away.

That is exactly the kind of response a player needs in a major. Everyone can look comfortable when the card is clean. The question is what happens when the course takes something back.

Smalley answered.

He is not the biggest name on the board, but he is not some random name either. The PGA Championship’s official site noted that he came into Aronimink with a strong 2026 season that included a T-2 at the Zurich Classic, a T-7 at the Cadillac Championship, a T-14 at the Valero Texas Open, a T-17 at the Truist Championship and a T-19 at Pebble Beach.

That matters. This was not a player suddenly appearing from nowhere. This was a player whose form has been building.

Now comes the harder part. Leading after the morning wave Friday is not the same as leading Sunday afternoon. Smalley will have bigger names behind him, more pressure around him and a golf course that is clearly not done asking difficult questions.

But through 36 holes, he has done more than hang around.

He has shown he belongs.

By The Numbers

• 67: Smalley’s opening-round score Thursday.
• 69: Smalley’s second-round score Friday.
• 4 under: Smalley’s 36-hole total after the morning wave.
• 3: Consecutive bogeys he overcame before finishing strong.

PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer who serves as Athlon Sports Senior Golf Writer. Read his recent “The Starter” on R.org, where he is their Lead Golf Writer. To stay updated on all of his latest work, sign up for his newsletter or visit his MuckRack Profile.